Panel to look into doping charges

August 17, 2005 16:21 IST

The inquiry tribunal to look into the doping allegations against discus thrower Neelam Jaswant Singh will be set up soon and would give its report in about two months, the Athletics Federation of India said on Wednesday.

"A committee would be formed according to the format of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and based on its conclusions the future course of action would be decided," AFI president Suresh Kalmadi said in New Delhi.

The tribunal will go into the various aspects of the latest drug scandal in Indian sport and suggest measures to prevent such occurrences in the future, Kalmadi said.

"The panel will also go into the Ukraine angle and what happened during Neelam's week-long stay in Kiev before the World Athletics Championship in Helsinki," he told reporters after the launch of the Delhi Half Marathon.

The IAAF procedures for an inquiry would be followed and only after its results are confirmed can we reach any conclusion, the AFI chief said, adding "the regulations forbid us to comment on the subject as the process needs to be totally confidential".

The federation defended its decision to send its athletes to Eastern European countries before major competitions citing better facilities and infrastructure there.

"The training facilities and other sporting infrastructure in those countries are world class and we have made a conscious effort to provide our athletes with the best facilities possible," AFI Secretary General Lalit Bhanot said.

"Even at the recent World Championships, the results achieved by these countries were very commendable," Bhanot said.